Doing what's true and knowing the truth are two very different things. We need to not pretend like we don't know who we are, how we are, and what's in us. Maybe some of us don't really know what's in us or are afraid to acknowledge it. I don't say that in a negative way, but if we do know what's in us then why is it so difficult when someone else points out the very thing that you already know about yourself. If we cannot even embrace who we are and deal with our own idiosyncrasies, then how do we expect someone else to put up with them?
We expect that someone else will be willing to deal with what we are not even willing to deal with within ourselves. We got issues, but we don't want anyone else to acknowledge that we've got issues, but just learn to deal with it. Frankly, that's some twisted thinking. Sometimes we can't even stand ourselves. We laugh at just how ridiculous we are and behave. We pray that God will change us and fix us. Then we act as if we don't know there's issues going on with us when someone else points it out. Hello somebody, but that is just plain off the wall as Michael Jackson would say.
The word of God is the only remedy for keeping us in check. It gives us checks and balances so we won't seem mentally unstable in our behavior and attitude. Let's be honest, women can seem a little bit off balanced in the way we think and behave if we don't keep our flesh under the blood. We can come unglued in a New York minute and make men wonder who in the world is this and where is the woman I was talking to five minutes ago. So, the word of God is there to keep us balanced so that we do not forget that we are tri-part and to make sure that we attend to the whole of us. It tells us that we must not be a hearer only, but a doer of the word (James 1:22). We must put the word in practice because it is relevant for our lives and it molds our character. Our character and attitude is trained to behave like our flesh, adhere to things that appease us and make us feel good. But the word teaches us to do the things that please the Father. When we do not keep the word built up in us and call the word up out of us when life happens we live out of our flesh man and become who God never intended us to be and who we know we are trying not to be.
Jesus said if you continue in my word, then you are disciples and you shall know the truth and the TRUTH will make you free. So there is more than just one thing going on here. It's not enough to do one. You must continue in the word to be a disciple. If you do not continue in the word, then you are not a disciple. Keeping the commandments of the word makes you a disciple. Then he goes further in saying that after being a disciple then you will know the truth. In other words after you continue in his word or doing his word your discipleship will teach you what the truth is and from this revelation you draw freedom.
If you continue in my word, you'll be a disciple. If you continue in my word you shall know the truth. If you continue in my word the truth will make you free. But what happens if we don't continue in his word? There is nothing in us to shine a light on the things that make us fall short. There is nothing in us to expose what's in us that is not Godly. There is nothing in us that will show us that we are not operating in truth. This is what happens when we do not continue in the word. So, when someone points out to us that we have junk going on and that we're a hot mess, the reason we can't see it is because there is not enough word in us to reveal the truth to us! How can a disciple of something be truly committed to that thing if they haven't read the rule book? You can't play football competitively without knowing the game. You will be just a player running around on the field getting in every body's way. You won't know where to set up, which side to be on when on offense or defense. You won't know anything because you haven't read the book.
I said all of that to say this.....we tend to act like we forget who we are when we deal with people especially when it comes to dealing with the opposite sex. We know that we act some kind of crazy when we have skipped a few days of prayer. We know we go completely bananas when somebody says something we don't like or agree with. But we tend to forget all of that, you know about who you really are, when we get into a relationship. We tend to act like we don't know how off colored we could be if we don't keep ourselves in check with the word and prayer. When we get into a relationship the truth about who we are becomes eschewed. We can see the fault in everything and everybody else and ignore the foolishness in us. It's really easy to do when the light is off in us.
It's time to start telling the truth about what you see in yourself. The only way you will ever see what's wrong is to use the resources of the word to expose the mess that's there. The word will reveal the foolishness and when somebody else says something about it, you will already know and have a dish towel out to clean up the mess. Revelation about yourself is hard to deal with and handle. But the only way to a better you, less confusion in your life, is to make sure the light is always on. The light is the light of the word, Jesus Christ. Make sure he is always shining brightly in your life to reveal whatever is hidden in you so that you will never be confused about who you are.
God's blessings to you over the weekend and may he keep you in his grace, Amen!
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